High frequency reed block



Nov. 1, 1938. c. LlNDEBERG 2,135,310

HIGH FREQUENCY REED BLOCK Filed Feb. 2l, 1938 DHBV mamar-1W mmmlm all mipl Vl [IEE D DEI] Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES HIGH FREQUENCY REED BLOCK Carl Lindeberg, De Kalb, Ill., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, De Kalb, Ill., a

corporation of Ohio Application February 21, 1938, Serial No. 191,629

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a special construction for the reed block and tone chambers formed therein, for serving the high frequency reeds of an accordion or like instrument, sometimes termed the piccolo reeds. The purpose of the invention is to ensure the proper sounding of these high frequency reeds under varying conditions of suction` and pressure which arise in playing different types of music. The invention consists in certain features and elements of construction in combination, as herein shown and described and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a reed block embodying this invention, with most of the reeds omitted therefrom to simplify the drawing.

-Figure 2 is a longitudinal section across the reed block taken substantially as indicated at line 2 2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation as indicated at line 3 3 on Figure 1.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are transverse sections taken respectively as indicated at lines 4 4, 5 5 and 6 6 on Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the other end of the reed block taken as indicated at line 1 1 on Figure 1.

Heretofore, it has been` found undesirable to employ high frequency reeds that is, reeds of 30 extremely high pitch in an accordion, because of the difficulty of arranging such reeds so that they will operate satisfactorily. When mounted on a standard reed block in the same relative positions as the reeds of lower pitch, they are often found to choke on high pressure, or to fail to respond properly at low pressure. In some cases an attempt has been made to correct this condition by mounting the reeds of highest frequency in planes parallel to and directly opposite the ports of their respective reed chambers, but, except for the very shortest reeds, this occupies too much space, widening the reed block so as to cause difficulty in accommodating it in the standard dimensions of the instrument; hence, this expedient is usually limited to the three or four reeds of highest pitch, with the result that there is a definite break in tone quality between these reeds and the next few in the scale; the lower reeds of the piccolo octave have a tendency to sound muled and are unreliable in their action.

The present invention provides an arrangement by which a full octave of high frequency reeds is arranged in the same manner so as to exhibit a uniform tone quality, and this mounting has been found to result in a much more satisfactory operation of the reeds under varying conditions than in previous construction. Throughout the high frequency or piccolo range the reeds respond and speak out clearly, both on low pressures and high pressures, and throughout the intermediate range, acting denitely and positively at all times, whether the instrument is being played forte or pianissimo.

The drawing illustrates a reed block for an accordion containing a. full octave of piccolo reeds, four of such reeds l being shown in place on the` reed block, and the remainder being omitted. Three of the reeds 2 of the next lower range are also shown in this View. The reed block has the usual base 3 with ports 4 leading to the individual reed chambers which are formed in two rows on opposite sides of a longitudinal partition 5 and separated by transverse partitions 6. For the reeds 2 of the lower range, the sides of the chambers opposite the partition 5 are left open, and are closed by the plates 'l on which the reeds and their flap valves 8 are carried, each plateI carrying one pressure reed and a similarly tuned suction reed in the usual manner on its opposite faces. Similar plates 9 are provided for each of the reeds I in the high frequency range, but for this octave the reed chambers are closed for a considerable portion of their height by means of a lateral wall I0 extending from the base flange 3 about half-way up the sides of the chambers, as seen in Figure 1. Inside the chambers of the high frequency range the partition wall 5 instead of sloping flatly and continuously from the end to end, consists of a portion 5a which extends upwardly from the base 3 substantially to the same height as the side wall ID and a second portion 5b which trends at an angle to the portion 5a. As may be seen from the sectional views, Figures 5 and 6, the wall I0 extends somewhat obliquely so as to partly overhang the port 4 in the base of the chamber; the surface 5EL of the wall 5 trends obliquely from the base 3 in about the same direction as the wall l0 while the surface 5D inclines somewhat more from the perpendicular than 'the surface 5a. The reed-sup:- porting plate 9 carrying the reeds I connects with the upper edge of the inclined Wall l0 and is itself inclined more sharply than the wall I0 but in the same direction away from the perpendicular to the base 3. There is a slight convergence between the inner surface of the Wall I0 and the surface 5a of the partition 5 and there is a further convergence between the plate 9 and the surface 5IO so that the upper edge of the plate 9 approaches the surface 5b about as closely as is practicable in View of the necessary clearance for vibration ofthe reed l.

As a result of this formation, each of the reed chambers for the high frequency reeds I is tapered, narrowing from the port 4 to the opposite end of the chamber, and, in addition, the reed I is mounted at a considerable distance from the port 4 but obliquely with respect to the plane of the port. Thus the portion of the reed chamber defined by the Walls I and 5a forms a throat-way leading to the further tapered portion of the chamber opposite the reed l.

It is found that this construction of the reed f chambers for the high frequency reeds ensures satisfactory and reliable operation of these reeds throughout the entire range of pressures which are experienced in the operation of the accordion; and, as will be seen by comparison of the various sectional views and elevations of the reed block, the piccolo reeds do not require any widening of the block to accommodate them, as is the case when they are mounted parallel to the plane of the base 3. The construction lends itself readily to convenient methods of manufacture, and ensures pleasing, clear tones in the upper ranges of the accordion.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and re-arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an accordion reed block, a series of tone chambers for high frequency reeds, each of said chambers having a port at one end and being of tapering cross-section narrowing from the ported end to the opposite end, said chamber being closed on all sides for a considerable distance from the port with the reed mounted in a portion of one side wall adjacent said opposite end of the chamber.

2. In an accordion reed block, a series of tone chambers for high frequency reeds, each of said chambers having a port at one end and being of tapering cross-section narrowing from the ported end to the opposite end, said chamber being closed on all sides for a considerable distance from the port with the reed mounted in a portion of one side wall adjacent said opposite end of the chamber, said reed being disposed in a plane oblique to the plane of the port.

3. In combination, an accordion reed block lincluding a tone chamber for a high frequency reed, said chamber having a port at one end, 5 and a substantially straight reed mounted at a considerable distance from said port and obliquely opposite the same. i

4. In combination, an accordion reed block including a tone chamber for a high frequency*l reed having a port at one end and comprising an air passage leading from said port, and a reed disposed obliquely across said passage at the end of the same opposite the port with the tongue of the reed extending away from said port.

5. In an accordion reed block, a tone chamber for a high frequency reed, said chamber having a port at one end with a tapering throat leading from said port and a further tapering passage extending from the end of said throat at a slight angle to the axis of the throat, with a reed mounted in one side of said passage.

6. In an accordion reed block, a tone chamber for a high frequency reed having a port at one end with two parallel walls connected by a third wall comprising a section adjacent the port and a second section extending from the end of the first at an obtuse angle thereto, together with a fourth Wall composed of a solid section disposed adjacent the port and opposite the first section of the third wall, and an apertured section supporting a reed and extending opposite the second section of the third wall at an obtuse angle to the solid section and converging toward said wall at the end remote from the port.

7. In an accordion reed block, a series of tone chambers for high frequency reeds, each of said chambers having a port at one end and being of tapering cross-section, narrowing from the ported end to the opposite end, said chamber being closed on all sides for approximately one half of its length from the port end, and hav- 1 ing a reed mounted in a portion of one side wall 345 adjacent said opposite end of the chamber.

8. In an accordion, a reed chamber having a i port at one end and being of tapering crosssection, narrowing from the ported end to the oppositel end, and a reed mounted in a portion of the side wall remote from the port, the axis o of the chamber being bent away from the perpendicular to the plane of the port and in such a direction that the reed is disposed opposite the port. r

CARL LINDEBERG. 

